City : Lattes (France)
Location : Maurin neighbourhood
Year : 2019
The Mayor of Lattes, a town in the French department of Hérault in the Occitanie region, had a project to build a play area in the Maurin neighbourhood, due to the strong demographic growth in the surrounding neighbourhoods, which created a need for a dedicated leisure space.
It was also aimed at creating a local dynamic to encourage community living and therefore increase the area’s attractiveness.
Proludic was chosen to bring this project to fruition, both for aesthetics and layout and for the robustness of its products and the ease with which used materials are maintained.
A spotlight on nature
Lattes is at the heart of a natural area teeming with water, sunlight and greenery.
After having worked closely with the municipal teams, the theme of nature had been selected; the outdoor play area would thus harmoniously blend in with a preserved environment.
A playground for children between 2 and 12
With a surface area of 105 m², the play area is made up of 8 structures that encourage play between children from various age groups.
TheThe main attraction is a multi-activity play structure from the Aventure range, dominating the vast park around the play area from its 2 towers, which stand tall at 5.40 m and 3.80 m. Its dominating colours of green and brown highlight the journey into the heart of this lush green area.
Various play features liven up the towers in order to satisfy everyone’s wants, from 3 years old :
- Children have 3 ways to access the structure, and they must use all their motor skills and endurance to reach the platforms: having no stairs or steps of any kind, these little Indiana Joneses must use a vague ladder, a mobile ladder or a hanging net to climb up 1.77 m from the ground.
- A rope bridge with non-sliding rubber footholds connects the two towers of the structure. Much like the crossing between two mountain slopes, children must progress over each spaced out, mobile step, while demonstrating their balance and being wary of the emptiness beneath their feet.
- From the 2 towers’ platforms, the children can descend either through a classic slide, or, for the more daring children, through a tube slide for a more heart-racing experience.
- Play panels with moving parts are placed on the lower part of the structure. They are meant for the youngest children, to encourage their reflection but also to make these large play houses a shared space.
Other outdoor playground equipment is installed around the main structure, such as:
- A small, 1.50 m-long suspended bridge placed 30 cm from the ground. It is meant for young children, 2 years or older, who must get from one non-sliding board to the next, while stepping over the empty space below them. Up to 4 children can play in it at a time.
- 3 animal-shaped springers (duck, turtle and snake). They allow children to become used to the notion of rocking and improve the youngest children’s balance, all the while helping them discover forest animals.
- A roundabout with a 1.50-m diameter is available for children aged 3 and over and for up to 8 players. The sensations of the users of this group game increase as the rotation speed, defined by one of the children, also increases.
- A pod swing designed for 5 children at a time. It enables the young ones to feel like they are swinging from vine to vine, like Tarzan.
- A jeep, a themed, imaginative game from the Aventure range. In this all-terrain vehicle, children from 2 to 6 can go explore the forest, stride along its muddy paths and live a team adventure.
A harmonious nature-themed playground
The nature-themed playground fits in perfectly with the natural environment at the park in Maurin. The shapes and colours of the play structures, as well as the tones chosen for the treatment of the floors, blend in perfectly : green and brown were the only 2 colours chosen to symbolise nature ; all equipment makes references to forest elements.
Fauna and flora help children delve into a unique and exotic universe.
The area is closed off for security. The environment is family-oriented thanks to the layout of benches, placed under the shade of large trees, all around.
